Toilet paper is not in short supply in Australia, and it will not be in short supply at any time. There are no grounds for panic buying. Sources: Timberbiz, IndustryEdge
Each Australia consumed an average 12.5 kg of all tissue products in 2018-19. This includes toilet paper, but also facial tissue and hand towel and napkins and so on. It includes what is used at home, but also what is used at school or work, in hospitals or at cafes.
To make this real when thinking about the images we have seen in Australian supermarkets, a trolley load of 50kg of toilet paper is likely to last a family of four something like two years.
Local manufacturers dominate supermarket shelves and have increased production.
IndustryEdge estimates local supply is greater than 85% across all retail outlets. Even more important, for the last few years, the local manufacturers have only been using 82% of their capacity.
All have increased production in recent weeks, not because of any particular shortage, but to help fill the shelves quickly, as they respond to panic buying.
Local manufacturers produce two-thirds of Australia’s tissue products.
Australia’s local manufacturers – ABC Tissue, Encore Tissue, Kimberly-Clark Australia and Solaris Paper – produce almost exactly two-thirds of Australia’s tissue products. The remainder is imported, either as very large rolls (converted or cut down to consumer size locally) or fully converted.
In 2018-19, the Australian companies produced 210,000 tonnes of tissue paper. That can rise to around 260,000 tonnes per year.
Imported tissue paper for converting in Australia to finished products, makes up around one-third of the total, with about 25 countries providing that supply each year
Imports have a larger role in the B2B market.
IndustryEdge’s ongoing analysis shows that the local manufacturers dominate the supply of toilet paper sold in retail outlets like supermarkets. Imports have a stronger role supplying the tissue product needs of the business-to-business market, including cafes and restaurants and supplies to hospitals, schools, offices and industrial users.
Imported pulp to make tissue products comes from a wide range of countries, Australian tissue manufacturers mainly import the wood pulp used to make toilet paper.
In 2018-19, pulp imports came from a wide range of countries, dominated by Brazil, South Africa and New Zealand. There has been no disruption to pulp imports. None is expected.
The events of early March 2020 that have seen store level shortages of toilet paper are difficult to understand in a country that experiences few shortages of anything. There is plenty of toilet paper for everyone.
